Attracting and Retaining Quality Staff

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What do you get when three standout clinic owners and a business coach gather at 7am to talk about recruitment? Surprisingly practical insight.

At the APA Vic Breakfast on April 2nd, 2025, we unpacked how to attract and retain great people – and what’s actually working. No corporate spin. No unicorn fantasies. Just honest strategies that reflect the reality of running health businesses today.

People First, Not Process First

These conversations weren’t polished. They were honest – and that’s what made them useful.

Brett Long from Kieser set the tone early. Their pitch to new hires is simple: You’ll enjoy working here, and you’ll grow faster with us. That’s it. And it’s working.

People in health want challenge, growth, and belonging – not bureaucracy. When you strip back the fluff, that’s what attracts quality staff. That’s what gets them to stay.

It’s why Kieser is growing the way it is. They’re not promising the world – they’re offering an environment built around the individual. And that’s a mindset that aligns deeply with what we teach at Culture of One.

Build Career Pathways, Not Just Jobs

Darren Ross from Physica brought clarity on something most clinics miss: there has to be a next step.

Call it a growth mindset, call it career progression – doesn’t matter. What matters is that people can see a future in your clinic. Clinical leadership. Role design. Ownership pathways. If high performers can’t picture themselves there in two years, they’ll leave.

We’ve got to be real: most physios won’t stay with you for 20 years. But if someone brings two or three great years, and leaves better than they arrived – that’s a huge win. And they’ll tell others.

Culture That’s Actually Felt

Sherrie Krampel runs Total Health Choice, one of the most culture-driven clinics in the game – especially in the NDIS space.

She’s not posting LinkedIn thought leadership. She’s building deep emotional bandwidth into her team’s day-to-day. That means understanding diverse backgrounds, supporting team members holistically, and creating space for meaning.

It reminded me of early Life Ready – 20 staff around a dinner table. That’s what leadership used to look like. And for Sherrie, it still does. It’s why her people stay.

New Grads Need Safety, Not Pressure

If there’s one non-negotiable for retaining early-career clinicians, it’s psychological safety.

We’ve all seen the dynamic: senior clinicians in the room, new grad in the corner. No wonder they second-guess themselves. No wonder they stall. Shadowing, co-treatment, peer cohorts – these aren’t soft touches. They’re essential.

You don’t need to turn them into elite clinicians in year one. You need to make sure they’re safe, supported, and progressing. That’s how you build confidence. And confidence is what grows a caseload.

Rethink Hours and Environment

Let’s talk about the real blockers: working from home is mostly a fantasy in private practice. Clinical teams need face-to-face contact. High-performing teams work together, train together, grow together.

That said, staggered shifts and four-day weeks are real opportunities – especially when you start talking 30-hour work weeks. Brett from Kieser shared that their team gets the same output in less time. That’s not a fluke. That’s the result of strong systems and a people-first mindset.

Still, full-time coverage is important for new grads to build momentum. But the goal should be to get them to that condensed, balanced week – so they stay longer, and stay well.

Price Like a Grown-Up Business

To make this work, you’ve got to price properly. You can’t offer work-life balance, training, and support on $95 consults.

If your strategy is to attract great people and keep them long-term, your pricing has to reflect that. That means charging for the value you create – and backing yourself to generate demand through marketing, reputation, and leadership.

👉 Recruitment Strategy

Stop Searching for Unicorns

Here’s where I’ll land it: I’ve spent five years deep in recruitment strategy – especially during and after COVID. And the biggest lesson?

Unicorns don’t exist.

Everyone brings something messy. Nobody checks every box. If you’re waiting for perfect, you’ll wait forever.

What you need is someone who fits the fundamentals – someone coachable, aligned, and willing. Then your job is to develop them. That’s how you turn 6/10 hires into 8/10 performers. That’s how you build momentum and loyalty.

Chase growth, not perfection. That’s the real recruitment strategy.

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